Jumping off a Cliff and Falling in Love, Chapter 3
by Black Rose25
Summary: The Third instalment in my epic fanfic. Look at the other chapters for a better summary, they are just below.


I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY, YOU GUYS!!! IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN A WHOLE WEEK SEINCE I UPDATED!! *Takes on dramatic pose* I, Black Rose the First, do here and now decree that I shall never update less often than once a week, as long as my account is on the noble cite, Fanfiction.net! *American flag fades into the background and heroic music plays* I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you dedicated readers, who have heaped compliment opon compliment at my feet. *Sound of a record stopping and the music and flag go away.*  
  
Last week, on my fanfic:  
  
With a mocking smile that told all to well what he had in store for her, Galdran stated to the entire precession:  
  
"I never expected much from that half-mad old man, but this really is rich!" He then made the statement in to an insult most foul, and laughed at Meliara's father in her grimy face. While I forgave them later, at that moment I was infuriated as the rest of the court followed Galdran's suit and laughed.  
  
"Cheer up, wench, You'll have your brother soon for company, and your heads will make a nice matched set over the palace gates!"  
  
My stomach rose in revolution at the merest thought of what the King was insinuating, and I followed Meliara with my eyes as she was led down to the dungeons and out of my sight, the laughter of the court following her out.  
  
Now, back to our show.  
  
I was forced to wait out the rest of court, which mainly entailed petitioners being yelled at by "His Majesty," and we courtiers being ordered to give him a truly obscene amount of flattery. However, while I was normally one of the premiere court actors, my heart truly wasn't in it today. All I could seem to think about was Meliara, and the way she had looked at me as she was lead out of the room.  
  
Unfortunately, not paying attention and having Galdran in the same room was not the best combinations. I almost had a close call when Galdran asked me whether or not the rebels in Tlanth were putting up a good fight, and I responded "Indeed, were there only more of them, they would win this war easily." The King stared at me like I had just proposed that chickens were creating an underground resistance movement(YAY!! CHICKENS!!). I did manage to save myself from an untimely demise by laughing it off as a joke, "Of course, they would only accomplish that by their collective smells, which, I might mention, are rather ripe." I knew I was safe as soon as the court realized my bluff, and began to laugh at my quick save. Galdran, being the not-the-sharpest-tool-in-the-box person he was, realized that he must have missed some joke, and began to laugh as well at my performance, which only made the rest of us chuckle harder.  
  
As soon as court dismissed, I went to my mothers quarters and found Russav and her waiting for me. "So," I asked, "How are we going to pull off our illustrious Countess' brilliant escape from under the very noses of the King's finest?" All attempt at upholding my court mask was discarded, as I was among family.  
  
"I believe I have found a way," my mother said, waving her hand over to a rather short, seedy man sitting in the corner in Goldsmith's garb, ringing his hat and looking as if he had just said something that he knew should have been kept secret.  
  
Russav gave me a rather predatory grin, and proceeded to tell me that this was the spy Tlanth had planted in the castle, but when I inquired as to how he found out, he would only say "He should be more careful who he spies on." I found this rather ominous, but proceeded to look over the spy Meliara had sent.  
  
He was not a tall man, nor was he short. He had a patch of hair that was somewhere between gray and brown, and a rather big round nose. "What is your name?" I asked him, as I remembered grimly how Meliara had known the names of all the men in her army. "Learning their names only made them harder to loose in the end" I thought grimly. "It changes them from just another face in the crowd to a person, with a life, and a family, and...and..."  
  
I was pulled out of my thoughtful musing when my mother began to speak on how we would manage to get Meliara out of her cell, past the guards, and into my mothers carriage without being discovered. That limp of hers would be hard to hide, but we might manage it.  
  
Suddenly, I had an idea that would serve two purposed: not only get her out of her cell fast, but give me an attempt to make up for my own not- quite-par first impression. I knew it was hopeless to think of her forgiving me, but I wanted to try, at the very least.  
  
"What do you say to this," I said to the three of them. "I go see the Countess in her cell three days from now. That should give enough time for you," here I nodded at my mother, "to arrange a reason to depart from Athanarel so quickly. After exchanging a few words with her, I will think of something, I walk out." Russav looked at me, and was just on the brink of asking me what good that could possibly do when I mentioned the little fact that I would leave the door unlocked in doing so. "Then, it's just a matter of getting her into some palace livery and making sure she finds the carriage of the Esteemed Princess of Renselaeus. (Gahhhh! I cant spell!!!)"  
  
I watched as Russav finally caught on. He looked over to the Tlanth spy and said "That would be where you come in. You need to get your Lady disguised, and in to the coach. Got that?" The Spy nodded vigorously, as though he felt that if he spoke, he would reveal even more of his unknown secret than he already had. The bells for first blue rang, and my mother announced that she had a previous social engagement that she must prepare for, where she would casually let it drop that my fathers health was failing, so she would be returning home as soon as possible.  
  
As soon as my mother had ushered the both of us out of her rooms, Russav gave me that rather carnivorous grin again' he reminded me of some kind of wolf eyeing a new victim that would be shortly be reduced to a mass of so much goo on the floor. "You were rather taken with our little Countess, weren't you, cousin?" I wondered briefly what could have given myself away, but responded quickly. "Yes, and she is not nearly as good as your Queen of Sunshine and cheery disposition!" I was, of course, referring to Tamara. A look of shock and offence so severe it could only have been humorous crossed his face, and he stalked off, leaving me alone to ponder why exactly I was so concerned for the fate of Meliara.  
  
Hey, what do you think? I may have kind of lost my creative steam after such a long break, but first I was in Wyoming, then I had band camp all this week ("And one time, at band camp :P) and my mom somehow managed to talk me in to playing the Sousaphone!! That's that really really big one that wraps around your waist and shoulders two or three times. Mine weighs like a ton, and I have bruises all over my left shoulder from marching with it. I would take time now to thank all my beloved reviewers individually, but it is 11:28 PM, and X-Files is on at 11:30. I am really really sorry for the formatting error in the last chapter that made all the paragraphs really really long, but I did this Auto-Formatting thing that must have fudged on ff.net. I think I fixed it this time. You beloved readers seem to want me to continue this story, so I will until there is no longer a demand for it. I already have an idea for my next fic, (A few months after "Vidanric's Birthday Suprise," Mel and Danric decide to get a dog...or, rather, Mel decides FOR Danric to get a dog. It will be a lot funnier than this one, and has one scene involving King Vidanric walking in to petitioner's court with muddy paw-prints all down his shirt.) OOPPSS! Sorry the AN is so long, I just had a lot to say. I will try to get my next chapter up on Tuesday. Toodles!  
  
P.S.: Oh, and any help you can offer in adding chapters would be appreciated. This way screws up the story count. Now, REALLY Toodles!! :P 


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